Hit a deer, replace seat?

[Jewels]

A friend of mine hit a deer today going highway speeds (70-100kms). She was able to drive the vehicle away, no-one was hurt and the deer ran off. It hit the front passenger bumber and she thinks there is several $1,000 damage. She has a MA and it does meet the criteria listed here (http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=9575):

Britax's FAQ refers to the NHTSA criteria for carseat replacement after a crash at http://www.britaxusa.net/support/faqs.aspx

Q: What should I do with my child restraint that's been involved in a crash?

A: Britax recommends that use of a child restraint be discontinued if it has been in a severe crash. We further advise of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) position that it is not necessary to replace a child restraint after a minor crash. A minor crash is one that meets ALL of following criteria:

* The vehicle was able to be driven away from the crash site;
* The vehicle door nearest the child restraint was undamaged;
* There were no injuries to any of the vehicle occupants;
* The air bags (if present) did not deploy; AND
* There is no visible damage to the child restraint.

So, my question is in this situation would you replace the MA since she was going highway speeds and she thinks there is several $1,000 damage?



I told her to tell insurance she needs a carseat replaced when she files her claim but MPI has made it extremely hard to replace seats and goes by the criteria above so I think she will have to fight it. I had to fight having my MA replaced after my FIL hit a deer with my ds in the car, air bags went off and the car was totalled :eek:

**UPDATE**

My friend met with the insurance company, the estimate is $3,600. I know I'm not going to get the terms right but i'll try to explain what needs fixing.
The deer hit the front pass. side of the vehicle breaking the headlight, smashing up the side that goes up and over the tire, bent in the passenger door (making it hard to open and close) and smooshed up the hood a bit.

[chickabiddy]

Why did the airbags not deploy at a highway-speed crash?

[melniemi]

I would replace it. If there is that much damage to the car, I can only imagine that there is damage to that seat. I hit a deer once and had a couple thousand dollars of damage and had no idea that my carseats were no longer safe. My boys rode in them for a year or two after that!! I wish I had known to replace them. Insurance said nothing.

[UlrikeDG]

The time I hit a deer, I was going about 45 MPH. I've felt harder jolts slamming on the breaks when the car starts to roll in the driveway. Deer just don't have much mass relative to a car. Yes, they can do a lot of damage and even be deadly, but as far as transfering significant crash forces to the seat and belts, not so much. I'd feel comfortable going with Britax's recommendations on this one.

[skaterbabscpst]

Having hit a deer at close to 40 mph when my boys were little, I can assure you it's definately a severe crash. Replace the seats.

[Jewels]

Thanks :)

The mom did say that there was a jolt. I did tell her to tell them she needed a seat replaced but I might have to help her fight for it. When my FIL hit the deer I ended up having to write a letter to the CEO of the insurance company complaining about their policy which is now under review. Now I guess i'll find out if they have done anything about it :rolleyes:

[beeman]

Why did the airbags not deploy at a highway-speed crash?

A deer is not a solid object, and does not allow the vehicle to slow down very significantly, and on the same token does not apply strong crash forces on the vehicle.

As for the significance of the crash. A few thousand dollars is not that much damage. That could be very light tin work (Fender, hood, grill, bumper) that need to be replaced. The paint job would be over $1000 :twocents: . However, when dealing with the insurance company, a new child restraint is cheap compared to the body work and possible injury or death settlements if the seat is defective in another crash. Keep pushing, and don't back down.

[keri1292]

I have one carseat still going strong after hitting TWO deer, two separate times. Darn deer! :mad: This is on country roads though and my seatbelt never even locked. One crash, the deer ran smack into my driver's side door. The other, he was hiding behind 5ft tall brush and tried to leap over my van. I clipped him with my headlight, he flipped up in the air, flew over my van and ran into the forest. :eek:
Ds1 pipes up in the back..."Mom! I about fell outta my seat!" :D We then discussed WHY noone was harmed in this little accident. They still say, everytime we go by the spot..."Hey, Mom. Remember when you hit that deer?" No, kids, the #$#%^ing deer hit MOMMY!
I'm a little paranoid about deer now. Dh enjoys making fun of me. :rolleyes:
But, I don't feel that my carseats were compromised in the least especially considering the low speeds.

[popsicle]

If you hit a "deer" around here you'd need to replace more that your car seat! :rolleyes: Of course the only "deer" we have are moose so.... I'm no help.

[skaterbabscpst]

I would absolutely NOT be comfortable continuing to use a car seat after hitting a deer once, forget twice. If you came through an inspection station I was working, we'd replace the seat.

[chickabiddy]

Thanks for the airbag explanation.

I hit a deer at about 25-30mph. The insurance company wouldn't replace the seat (Britax Marathon) because it did not meet NHTSA standards. I replaced the seat myself. Although I *wish* they had replaced it, I think that both they and I were correct.

[beeman]

Skaterbabscpst, the extremities of deer collisions vary greatly. I've had a friend hit deer at high speeds, where the only damage was a minor bend in the bumper and a smashed headlight (the deer on the other hand learned how to fly :rolleyes: ). He didn't feel the impact, nor did the seat belt lock up. On the same token I've seen lower speed deer impacts with far greater damage and impact. I would feel comfortable continuing use of a seat that was in a minor deer impact (that meets all of Britax's requirements), however would definitely replace it if the impact was felt, a seat belt locked up or it didn't pass one of the requirements. That said, if insurance could be convinced to replace it, then that would definitely be the wise route to go.

[beeman]

If you hit a "deer" around here you'd need to replace more that your car seat! :rolleyes: Of course the only "deer" we have are moose so.... I'm no help.

Moose are so miserable! You can't see them at night and they lay right down on the cab :mad: . A friend of mine hit one and they are lucky to still be around.

[Synchro246]

I'm curious if the seat was occupied :)

[popsicle]

Moose are so miserable! You can't see them at night and they lay right down on the cab :mad: . A friend of mine hit one and they are lucky to still be around.

Yeah, they're a pain in the rear. Sure do taste good though. ;)

[southpawboston]

A deer is not a solid object, and does not allow the vehicle to slow down very significantly, and on the same token does not apply strong crash forces on the vehicle.

As for the significance of the crash. A few thousand dollars is not that much damage. That could be very light tin work (Fender, hood, grill, bumper) that need to be replaced. The paint job would be over $1000 :twocents: . However, when dealing with the insurance company, a new child restraint is cheap compared to the body work and possible injury or death settlements if the seat is defective in another crash. Keep pushing, and don't back down.

The time I hit a deer, I was going about 45 MPH. I've felt harder jolts slamming on the breaks when the car starts to roll in the driveway. Deer just don't have much mass relative to a car. Yes, they can do a lot of damage and even be deadly, but as far as transfering significant crash forces to the seat and belts, not so much. I'd feel comfortable going with Britax's recommendations on this one.

Skaterbabscpst, the extremities of deer collisions vary greatly. I've had a friend hit deer at high speeds, where the only damage was a minor bend in the bumper and a smashed headlight (the deer on the other hand learned how to fly :rolleyes: ). He didn't feel the impact, nor did the seat belt lock up. On the same token I've seen lower speed deer impacts with far greater damage and impact. I would feel comfortable continuing use of a seat that was in a minor deer impact (that meets all of Britax's requirements), however would definitely replace it if the impact was felt, a seat belt locked up or it didn't pass one of the requirements. That said, if insurance could be convinced to replace it, then that would definitely be the wise route to go.

agreed with all of the above. :thumbsup:

just because you feel a "jolt" doesn't mean a carseat needs to be replaced. heck, my friend's '69 barracuda does 12 second 1/4 mile times. *that* gives you a jolt. would you replace a carseat from a jolt from a muscle car taking off??? i mean seriously, if a seatbelt does not even lock, then it couldn't have been a serious impact. also, britax has those guidelines for a reason.

[Synchro246]

barracuda does 12 second 1/4 mile times. *that* gives you a jolt. would you replace a carseat from a jolt from a muscle car taking off???
What is a carseat doing in that?!?

no, in all seriousness I am drooling, but you knew that.

[LuvBug03]

On topic of airbags not deploying. I've been in 2 crashes that met the speed/damage criteria for them to deploy, but they still didn't. When I inquired as to why, I was told it was because my car has a specific sensor that needs to be activated in order for them to deploy. If you don't hit that sensor to activate it, they won't go off. The 2 crashes were 1. offset frontal where all the damage done spread from the headlight to the wheel wall. 2. completely dead on frontal where the front of my car went under the back of theirs. So not the right conditions to activate my sensor like I thought.
I just wanted to mention that. You might have a frontal crash at a high speed and still not activate the sensor.

[southpawboston]

What is a carseat doing in that?!?

no, in all seriousness I am drooling, but you knew that.

well, there is no carseat in that car, but that was just an example. there are brand new cars on the market that can match those "snap your neck" acceleration speeds, and you don't have to replace the carseats every time you step on that pedal. ;)

[Synchro246]

I was a kidding ;)
It's a well known rule in our house that carseats and children do not go into running muscle cars. I'm a safety prude about it.

[keri1292]

I would absolutely NOT be comfortable continuing to use a car seat after hitting a deer once, forget twice. If you came through an inspection station I was working, we'd replace the seat.


I've seriously hit curbs harder than these deer. Have I mentioned my parallel parking is atrocious? :whistle:

The first deer put a ding in my door and the one that dramatically flipped over my van cracked my bug shield. Just cracked, not even broken.

I've also hit a deer head on (pre-kids), dh was driving this time, and there is a noticeable difference between a deer jumping into the side of your car and you plowing a deer to death.

[UlrikeDG]

A møøse once bit my sister.

[chickabiddy]

well, there is no carseat in that car, but that was just an example. there are brand new cars on the market that can match those "snap your neck" acceleration speeds, and you don't have to replace the carseats every time you step on that pedal. ;)

In my case, I was there, and I felt the jolt. I recognize that it didn't meet the criteria for replacement so I don't fault the insurance company for not replacing it, but I am fortunate enough to be able to come up with $250 for peace of mind, and I did so.

[oxeye]

My DH hit a deer at 70mph when my Pacifica was only a month old. :( $6000 of damage. DD1's Marathon was in the car, unoccupied and we didn't replace it. This was before I knew insurance might have done it if we asked. I went back and forth on my own, though. It met all the NHTSA criteria for a minor collision. DH even said that the impact hardly felt like anything - go figure.

Anyway, we didn't replace the seat immediately, but it became a "spare" pretty quickly after that and then it was sent back to Britax and replaced later on when the base stopped locking into position FF. I always felt a little nervous about using it even though Britax and NHTSA said it was fine.

[southpawboston]

In my case, I was there, and I felt the jolt. I recognize that it didn't meet the criteria for replacement so I don't fault the insurance company for not replacing it, but I am fortunate enough to be able to come up with $250 for peace of mind, and I did so.

replacing the seat for peace of mind is fine... but being told it needed to be replaced is wrong.

My DH hit a deer at 70mph when my Pacifica was only a month old. :( $6000 of damage.

collision damage value is completely irrelevant to whether a carseat should be replaced. $6000 can get racked up very quickly these days. my spoiled brat nephew (6 yrs old with an attitude) dinged and scratched my fender by scraping his bicycle handlebar against it (he kept riding his bike too close to my car even after i warned him a dozen times he was getting too close :mad:). estimate? $690.

[UlrikeDG]

collision damage value is completely irrelevant to whether a carseat should be replaced. $6000 can get racked up very quickly these days.

I agree. My dad didn't even believe I'd actually hit the deer when he first saw the car (a '91 Camry that Hubby now uses to commute to work). He finally found some hairs stuck in the cracked headlight, and then he noticed some smaller dents in the hood, which got knocked a bit off kilter. Total repair cost was over $1000 (December, 1995).

[oxeye]

collision damage value is completely irrelevant to whether a carseat should be replaced. $6000 can get racked up very quickly these days.

Did I say it was relevant?? :confused:

[Jewels]

I'm curious if the seat was occupied :)

Yes the seat was occupied.

I'll talk to her tomorrow and ask her about whether or not their seatbelts locked.

[southpawboston]

Did I say it was relevant?? :confused:

no you didn't, but i read a lot of the "should i replace my seat now?" threads about accidents and the posters put in the collision estimate, as though it has some relevance. i just thought i would point.

[CRS]

In all of this fuss I don't recall once seeing the concern for the deer? Did you get out and ask him if he was ok? :ROTFLMAO:

[beeman]

collision damage value is completely irrelevant to whether a carseat should be replaced. $6000 can get racked up very quickly these days. my spoiled brat nephew (6 yrs old with an attitude) dinged and scratched my fender by scraping his bicycle handlebar against it (he kept riding his bike too close to my car even after i warned him a dozen times he was getting too close :mad:). estimate? $690.

I've been in the hunt for body parts for fixing up my old rust bucket :o . Used fenders and doors are $500, new are around $1000 (just for tin). I'm scared of what a new hood would be :eek: . And that's just for do-it-yourself home body work (no labor) (not how a claim would be done)
Once you start getting into fiberglass/plastic parts such as grills and bumpers on newer cars, they can get expensive. If there was damage to the radiator that could add up to close to $1000. A good paint job can cost better that $3000 for a good job on a full vehicle. Body work is expensive.

[Jewels]

I talked to her this morning and she doesn't remember what the seatbelts did but her 3yr child complained about his seatbelt/chest clip hurting his chest upon impact.

[bethng]

In all of this fuss I don't recall once seeing the concern for the deer? Did you get out and ask him if he was ok? :ROTFLMAO:

I was a little concerned about the poor deer too!

[Jewels]

In all of this fuss I don't recall once seeing the concern for the deer? Did you get out and ask him if he was ok? :ROTFLMAO:

I was a little concerned about the poor deer too!

Oh, I meant to say that the deer bounced up and ran off. I think he'll be ok :thumbsup:

[Synchro246]

I've been in the hunt for body parts for fixing up my old rust bucket :o . Used fenders and doors are $500, new are around $1000 (just for tin). I'm scared of what a new hood would be :eek: . And that's just for do-it-yourself home body work (no labor) (not how a claim would be done)
Once you start getting into fiberglass/plastic parts such as grills and bumpers on newer cars, they can get expensive. If there was damage to the radiator that could add up to close to $1000. A good paint job can cost better that $3000 for a good job on a full vehicle. Body work is expensive.
Ooh ooh! What is it???

[keri1292]

For the two deer we hit, the score is

Deer 1 Minivan 1

Although we didn't technically kill any, it was the 18 wheeler behind me that was much less forgiving than my minivan. :whistle:

[UlrikeDG]

The one I hit, I'm sure I broke her leg, so while she was far from dead when I hit her, I'm sure it was only a matter of time.

Irony? I was actually driving down to the family farm to go deer hunting the next day when I hit the deer. The family gave me lots of crap about "poaching" before the hunting season started.

[southpawboston]

The one I hit, I'm sure I broke her leg, so while she was far from dead when I hit her, I'm sure it was only a matter of time.


yeah, i think this is what happens to most deer that get hit. i mean, do people think that because the deer ran away from the crash scene that nothing happened to it? it's pretty hard to see internal injuries. i think in some cases, the deer get lucky and survive, but i think that for probably most, they die of some sort of injury or they get predated because of the injury.

[BudgieStew]

I would fight insurance if it came down to it to replace the seat.

My cousin hit a deer with her pick up truck last week. A passing car stopped and the driver put the deer down. She was fine thankfully.

[Jewels]

**UPDATE**

My friend met with the insurance company, the estimate is $3,600 damage.

I know I'm not going to get the terms right but i'll try to explain what needs fixing.

The deer hit the front passenger side of the vehicle breaking the headlight, smashing up the side that goes up and over the tire, bent in the passenger door (making it hard to open and close) and smooshed up the hood a bit causing the paint to peel.